LilSugar

When Pregnancy Doesn't Stop the Vices

babysugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:38:52 -0700

Someone might wanna tell Mrs. McSteamy that cream puffs are a much better (and dare I say tastier) alternative to smoke rings when it comes to breeding new life. Rebecca Gayheart's handsome hubby may play a doctor on television, but apparently any advice from her own doctor regarding the hazards of smoking while pregnant may have gone by the wayside. While it was acceptable in the past, we now know all the harm that can come with nicotine presence in the womb. In hopes of providing their child the best start in life, many expectant ladies take the nine months to rid themselves of the habit while others just keep on keepin' on like nothing has changed.

Did you give up your vices when you were expecting? Tell us more about it in the Pregnancy Posse in our LilSugar Community!

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Bad Habits Less Offensive When You Aren't Around Your Kids?

LilSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:00:31 -0700

When President Obama was recently questioned about his smoking, our Commander-in-Chief said he was 95 percent cured and doesn't indulge in the habit around his children. His sentiment echoed that of father of eight, Jon Gosselin. Whether the vice is alcohol, smoking, cursing, partying or eating fatty foods, habits are hard to kick. Fifty-four percent of lilsugar readers admitted that they too mix parenting with pre-baby pleasures. Do you find indulgences less offensive as long as they aren't done in the presence of children?

Five Reasons Moms Should Quit Smoking

LilSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:00:13 -0800

Smoking is a hard habit for anyone to quit. Whether you are a parent that has been packing cartons since high school or just indulging in the occasional drag, kicking the addiction is essential once you have kids. Improve your health as well as your lil one's air, by making 2009 a smoke free year. Check out our slideshow for all the incentive a mom needs to stop smoking. Pacific Coast News

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Steer Clear of Second Hand Smoke

LilSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:00:18 -0700

While pregnant, my heightened sense of smell picked up even the slightest scent of smoke and made me nauseous. And, maybe more than a few of our lilsugar readers felt the same way as 58 percent of you said the sight of a pregnant woman smoking incensed you more than catching a woman with child sipping a cocktail. Medically speaking, we should be just as leery of lil ones being around cigarette smoke. It doesn't matter if a parent, caretaker or stranger indulges. According to WebMD, there is evidence that no amount of smoke inhalation is without repercussions. It said:

The findings add to the growing body of evidence that suggests that there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke, also called environmental tobacco smoke, contains an array of harmful chemicals, including nicotine, which have been shown to increase one’s risk for cardiovascular disease. Exposure to such smoke causes upwards of 50,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers every year in the United States, making it a major public health concern.

Do you make an effort to keep your kids in a smoke free environment?

What's Worse: Drinking or Smoking While Pregnant?

LilSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:05 -0700

Tie one on or light 'em up? There are mamas-to-be that hang on to their habits despite being pregnant. And while heading to the bar for a cocktail or stepping outside for a cigarette may not have garnered a second glance a generation ago, times have changed.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

"We do not know what, if any, amount of alcohol is safe. But we do know that the risk of a baby being born with any of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders increases with the amount of alcohol a pregnant woman drinks, as does the likely severity of the condition. And when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby.

And, in regards to smoking, HHS cautioned:

Smoking during pregnancy can lead to a low birthweight baby and can reduce your baby's lung function.

Which expectant woman bothers you more - those who booze or those blowing smoke?
Source

Lil Links: Boozing Baby Billboard Draws Attention

babysugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:30:32 -0700

Underage drinking billboard draws attention - The Mommy Files
Dolly Parton honored by Rebecca Romijn's name choice - Celebrity Baby Blog
Decal animal growth chart - Cookie
Wash those cloth grocery bags! - CafeMom
Smoking banned for teachers, but not students - ParentDish
Ava Jackman eats ice cream in her Flashdance gear - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Finding the mother gene - Fit Pregnancy
David Bowie in Lego form - The Poop

New York Mom Hits the Weed to Cope With Work and Wee One

LilSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:38 -0700

The word stoner doesn't necessarily conjure up the image of a working woman with a kid, but some mothers find that smoking a bowl allows them to find better balance between career and child. A recent article in Marie Claire included an interview with mama Rachel Murphy, who routinely inhales after she puts her young daughter to bed. In order to secure an insurance policy, the New Yorker had to resort to chugging Ready Clean, which her husband was none to thrilled about. The story said:

The white-knuckle experience became a major source of tension in her marriage, Murphy concedes, so she stopped smoking for a while. But it didn't last. "I'm sorry, but I have a stressful job, I have a baby. I need to unwind somehow, and I don't really like to drink," she grumbles. So, while hanging out with married friends, most of whom are also parents, Murphy will occasionally join in when one pulls out a baggie and starts prepping a bowl. "I got kind of uptight," she says of her weed-free phase. "And my husband was like, 'Actually, I liked you better when you smoked.'"

While some people prefer their children smoke instead of drink and 54 percent of lilsugar readers said parents' bad habits were less offensive when they weren't around their kids - what's your opinion of mommies indulging in marijuana?
Source: Flickr User dana.ocker

Test Your Children's Cough Knowledge

LilSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:23 -0700

Your wee one's hacking is keeping her up all night, but with no other symptoms, you are sure it isn't the H1N1 virus. With all of the talk about flu season, it's easy to forget that youngsters cough for a variety of reasons. From viruses and infections to second-hand smoke, take our quiz and see just how much you know about children's coughs.

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Jon Gosselin Smokes While He Chats

LilSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:35:38 -0700

Did you give up bad habits before having kids?

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Parents to Be Prosecuted For Accidental Co-Sleeping Deaths?

LilSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:32:32 -0700

Lawmakers discuss a wake-up call for co-sleeping parents. Prosecutors around the country are weighing the possibility of charging parents who accidentally "roll-over" their tots while drunk or high with child-neglect. According to the Wall Street Journal, an Oregon district attorney "has drawn a fairly hard line on bed-sharing death cases: He will prosecute them when they involve alcohol or drugs."

An Indiana father was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and faces up to 50 years in jail after smothering his son when the man fell sleep on a sofa after using methamphetamine and smoking marijuana. Fifty-four percent of lilsugar readers said that though studies showed a marked increase in infant suffocation tied to bed sharing, it didn't change their minds about the practice. Do you think there should be legal consequences for moms and dads who accidentally injure their children while co-sleeping under the influence?